Being a stay-at-home dad for quite awhile, I do miss travelling to places and the everyday travel in going to work. Just when my thought was focused on the days when i was still in UAE (where i used to work), a split-second thought popped up in my preoccupied brain about the article i wrote during my first few days in Dubai. It's related to the travel condition i felt at that time. Well, I'm talking here about Jet lag and the ways of overcoming or at least minimizing it during long haul plane travels.
Here it goes:
Getting more out of the first few hours or even days of a much awaited holiday or an important business travel can be difficult if it is ruined by the condition so-called jet lag.
This is usually experienced if the vacation venue requires a long-haul travel.
Jet lag is caused when our body’s time patterns are disrupted when traveling across several time zones. It is a natural body rhythm that we normally are active during daytime and need sleep during the night. This natural rhythm is what we call the body clock. Since jet lag disrupts the body clock, the symptoms usually felt include extreme fatigue, insomnia, feeling fuzzy or disoriented, stomach disturbances and aches or soreness.
A slightly low level of oxygen in airplane cabins than our normal atmosphere which affects our mental and physical balance also increases these jet lag symptoms. However, jet lag can be tackled and avoided thus enjoying the holiday travel to the fullest. Proper preparations and being aware of some important things how to cope with jet lag need to be considered.
Beginning the travel in a relaxed state of being is a must. Jet lag is oftentimes psychological in nature. If you are thinking that the travel can be exhaustive, then there’s a big chance that you will be restless. It’s a sort of negative mind conditioning. Be well rested before you go onboard.
Get to know the time difference between your origin and destination. With this in mind, you may arrange for a flight schedule with an arrival time that is most comfortable to you. This results in lesser fatigue, hence a lesser jet lag. Reset your watch during the flight so you could easily adapt to time changes. However, be aware of the time difference especially if you are on a scheduled medication. Also arrange important commitments at the time when your energy level is most likely high.
Since you will be subjected to long hours on an air conditioned cabin, you will tend to feel dehydrated and your skin gets dry. Drink plenty of water or fruit juice. Avoid caffeine and alcohol intake so as not to aggravate jet lag insomnia. Try also to adjust your mealtime to your destination’s time as soon as possible. Take some sleep if the long haul travel is at night. This may be induced by listening to a soothing music, reading a book or watching a movie. Request from a flight attendant for an ear plug and eye mask if necessary.
For an overly long flight, try to split the jet lag. This means you may take a stop-over and divide time zones which could be a chance for an open air and an exercise. It will give your body time to calm down and reduce the jet lag fatigue. For an extended stop-over, try to take a warm shower which could enhance the blood circulation.
If you are arriving to your destination at daytime, stay active and deprive yourself of a nap so you can easily adapt your body clock by setting your bedtime to that of the local time. Expose yourself to sunlight as much as possible to align your body clock to the new time zone.
Taking these things into consideration with sensible planning and preparing ahead, jet lag is never a hindrance to the luxury of a holiday travel. That is, it would be a truly amazing vacation right from the very start.
Here it goes:
Getting more out of the first few hours or even days of a much awaited holiday or an important business travel can be difficult if it is ruined by the condition so-called jet lag.
This is usually experienced if the vacation venue requires a long-haul travel.
Jet lag is caused when our body’s time patterns are disrupted when traveling across several time zones. It is a natural body rhythm that we normally are active during daytime and need sleep during the night. This natural rhythm is what we call the body clock. Since jet lag disrupts the body clock, the symptoms usually felt include extreme fatigue, insomnia, feeling fuzzy or disoriented, stomach disturbances and aches or soreness.
A slightly low level of oxygen in airplane cabins than our normal atmosphere which affects our mental and physical balance also increases these jet lag symptoms. However, jet lag can be tackled and avoided thus enjoying the holiday travel to the fullest. Proper preparations and being aware of some important things how to cope with jet lag need to be considered.
Beginning the travel in a relaxed state of being is a must. Jet lag is oftentimes psychological in nature. If you are thinking that the travel can be exhaustive, then there’s a big chance that you will be restless. It’s a sort of negative mind conditioning. Be well rested before you go onboard.
Get to know the time difference between your origin and destination. With this in mind, you may arrange for a flight schedule with an arrival time that is most comfortable to you. This results in lesser fatigue, hence a lesser jet lag. Reset your watch during the flight so you could easily adapt to time changes. However, be aware of the time difference especially if you are on a scheduled medication. Also arrange important commitments at the time when your energy level is most likely high.
Since you will be subjected to long hours on an air conditioned cabin, you will tend to feel dehydrated and your skin gets dry. Drink plenty of water or fruit juice. Avoid caffeine and alcohol intake so as not to aggravate jet lag insomnia. Try also to adjust your mealtime to your destination’s time as soon as possible. Take some sleep if the long haul travel is at night. This may be induced by listening to a soothing music, reading a book or watching a movie. Request from a flight attendant for an ear plug and eye mask if necessary.
For an overly long flight, try to split the jet lag. This means you may take a stop-over and divide time zones which could be a chance for an open air and an exercise. It will give your body time to calm down and reduce the jet lag fatigue. For an extended stop-over, try to take a warm shower which could enhance the blood circulation.
If you are arriving to your destination at daytime, stay active and deprive yourself of a nap so you can easily adapt your body clock by setting your bedtime to that of the local time. Expose yourself to sunlight as much as possible to align your body clock to the new time zone.
Taking these things into consideration with sensible planning and preparing ahead, jet lag is never a hindrance to the luxury of a holiday travel. That is, it would be a truly amazing vacation right from the very start.
No comments:
Post a Comment